Adirondack Chairs - What are they?

The Adirondack chair is a uniquely crafted style of chair that promises the ultimate in comfort for patio furniture. The chair is designed with a sloping back and seat, in a V-shaped pattern, that somewhat resembles and feels like a straight-backed chair tipped against a wall. The Adirondack chair has wide, flat armrests, perfectly designed for holding a cool beverage while one relaxes outdoors.

The Adirondack chair began its history in the early 1900s, under the title of the Westport chair, named after a small town on the shore of Lake Champlain, near New York’s Adirondack Mountains. Thomas Lee, owner of the Westport Spring Resort, who wanted to design a comfortable outdoor chair to furnish his summer home, first crafted the chair. After testing several models of chairs on family and friends, asking them to rate their level of comfort, Lee settled on the custom sloping back and seat of the Adirondack chair.

Lee intended only to supply his home with some comfortable patio furniture, but his design became famous when he showed the plan to Harry Bunnell, a struggling carpenter of his acquaintance. Bunnell capitalized on the design and began producing the chairs for retail sale. Originally, each chair was constructed of hickory and included Bunnell’s signature in the wood.

Today, the classic Adirondack chair is constructed largely from cedar and teak because of the durability and beauty of these fine woods. At The Cedar Site, we offer finely crafted, cedar Adirondack chairs, complete with that same level of classic comfort Thomas Lee originally intended.